Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older, 2010 and 2015 #244

Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older, 2010 and 2015 #244

AHRQ Stats: Opioid-Related Emergency Care for Seniors

Among patients age 65 and older, the number of opioid-related emergency department visits doubled from 18,100 visits in 2010 to 36,200 visits in 2015. (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #244: Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older, 2010 and 2015.) 

Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older, 2010 and 2015

Audrey J. Weiss, Ph.D., Kevin C. Heslin, Ph.D., Marguerite L. Barrett, M.S., Rwaida Izar, M.P.H., and Arlene S. Bierman, M.D., M.S. 

Highlights

Among patients aged 65 years and older, the rate of opioid-related hospitalizations increased more than the rate of nonopioid-related hospitalizations between 2010 and 2015: Inpatient stays: a 34.3 percent increase in the rate of opioid-related stays, from 199.3 to 267.6 per 100,000 population, versus a 17.4 percent decrease in the rate of nonopioid-related stays Emergency department (ED) visits: a 74.2 percent increase in the rate of opioid-related ED visits, from 44.7 to 77.9 per 100,000 population, versus a 17.4 percent increase in the rate of nonopioid-related ED visits Compared with nonopioid-related stays among patients aged 65 years and older in 2015, opioid-related stays involved— Higher average inpatient costs and ED charges A higher proportion of patients discharged against medical advice A higher proportion of patients with multiple chronic conditions A higher hospitalization rate among patients residing in western States relative to other regions